Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State Hosts NCAA Region IV Softball Championship Tournament
5/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 13, 2002
Fresno State Hosts NCAA Region IV
Fresno State will serve host to its 17th NCAA Regional out of 21 NCAA Division I Softball Championship Tournaments. With a seating capacity of 5,767, Bulldog Diamond will be the site of a four-day, six-team tournament field that will feature four Top 20 California programs and a Midwest school this week, Thur.-Sun., May 16-19. On Thursday No. 1 seed CS Fullerton (50-11) and No. 6 seed Evansville (34-25) will kick the tournament off at 12:00 p.m. No. 2 seed Stanford (43-18) will face No. 5 Pacific (42-15) at 2:30 p.m. No. 3 seed California (48-19) and No. 4 seed Fresno State (49-18) will battle at 5:00 p.m.
NCAA Tournament Tickets
Tournament passes will be available to the general public beginning Wed., May 13, 9:00 a.m. Currently, tournament passes are available to Bulldog Diamond seat option holders as they will have until Tuesday evening to hold on to their regular-season seats. Single-day tournament passes and single-day tickets will be sold only at the portable ticket booth on game day at Bulldog Diamond. No tickets may be purchased on-line. For ticket information, phone (559) 278-DOGS.
Bulldogs Open Regional Action
As the No. 4 seed, Fresno State opens regional play with No. 3 seed California on Thur., May 16, 5:00 p.m. The Bulldogs, who are 15-5 in regional openers, are making their 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Fresno State softball remains the only program in the country to have qualified for each of the 21 NCAA Division I Softball Championships. In addition, Fresno State also is making its 25th straight postseason appearance overall since the program became a varsity sport in 1978.
Bulldogs in the NCAA Tourney
With 12 NCAA Regional championships under its belt, Fresno State owns a 71-41 (.633) record in NCAA Tournament play. In NCAA Regional action, the 'Dogs are 41-18 (.695). In the WCWS, Fresno State is 30-23 (.567) with a national title (1998), four runner-up trophies (1982, 1988, 1989, 1990), three third-place finishes (1991, 1992, 1997) and three fifth-place showings (1987, 1994, 1999).
Head Coach Margie Wright
In her 17th season as head coach of the Fresno State softball program, Margie Wright (Illinois State, 1974) has directed the Bulldogs to a national title (1998) while guiding the program to the NCAA Women's College World Series 10 times in the last 15 years. Entering the year as only the second NCAA Division I coach to amass 900 or more Division I career wins, she owns an impressive 880-261-1 (.772) mark with the Bulldogs and a 23-year career record of 1,027-341-3 (.751). Becoming the NCAA's all-time career win leader on March 23, 2000 with a 2-1 victory over CS Northridge, Wright became the first NCAA Division I coach to accumulate 1,000 Division I wins on March 12, 2002 when the Bulldogs swept Tennessee Tech (4-0, 2-1). The eight-time conference coach of the year has collected 13 outright or shared conference titles, a WAC tournament championship, 10 regional championship crowns and has led Fresno State to 17 straight NCAA postseason appearances. With a NCAA title and three national runner-up trophies to her credit, Wright is the only coach in program history to garner region coach of the year honors (seven times) and is the third head coach overall at Fresno State to garner National Coach of the Year accolades (1998). Boasting a 427-75 (.851) all-time home field record and a 198-28 (.876) mark at the "new" Bulldog Diamond since 1996, Wright has averaged 52 wins a year and has coached 44 All-Americans and 12 Verizon Academic All-Americans. An assistant coach for the 1996 USA Olympic softball gold medal team, Wright also helped the USA Softball National Team to a gold medal at the 1998 ISF World Championships.
Wright Joins 1,000 Win Club
Wright has reached momentous milestones since becoming the program's third head coach in 1986. Recording career victories No. 200 through No. 1,000 at Fresno State, Wright became the NCAA's all-time winningest Division I coach with win No. 914 on March 23, 2000 (2-1 vs. CS Northridge). The 1998 National Coach of the Year entered the 2002 season 22 wins shy of being the first-ever NCAA Division I head coach to record 1,000 NCAA Division I victories. She became the first softball coach and just the 24th head coach on the Division I level, regardless of sport and per records kept by the NCAA, to post 1,000 Division I victories on March 12 with a 2-1 victory over Tennessee Tech. Overall, only three head coaches, regardless of Division, had posted at least 900 fastpitch wins entering the 2002 season: Wright (978-323-3), Sandy Jerstad of Augustana (918-320-2) and Judi Garman of CS Fullerton (913-374-4).
Fresno State Softball Celebrates Silver Anniversary
Celebrating 25 years of winning tradition will ring throughout the 2002 season for the Fresno State softball program. Recognized as a cornerstone of softball excellence since their inception, the Bulldogs boast a heritage that is hard pressed to be found elsewhere. A tradition that is held in high esteem, Fresno State softball demand for excellence has not only delivered the first national title to the university but has produced unparalleled success both on the field and in the classroom.
Fresno State Athletics Security
Maintaining appropriate security measures at all its venues, Fresno State will conduct security checks at the gates, which include the following: no backpacks, duffel bags, ice chests or large containers; purses, small handbags and thermoses will be subject to search; all cars entering parking lots adjacent to venues as well as vendors are subject to search; increased number of security and venue personnel; no pass outs will be given to allow reentry into the venues; metal detectors will be present at entrances.
No Freebies Here
Though the RPI for softball is not released until postseason play is finished, the Bulldogs' strength of schedule certainly has them right among the top eight. Fresno State, which went 8-10 against the Top 25, posted a 49-18 regular-season record. Of the 18 losses, 13 have come by two or less runs (10 one-run losses with four of them via extra innings). Fifteen of the losses have occurred on the road and of those 15, 10 were against Top 25 with nine coming against the Top 10 and six against the Top Five. Still further, for a squad that is underclassmen dominated, the Bulldogs have not backed down from a schedule that featured 14 games against the Top 10 with 12 of those meetings being on the road. All told, Fresno State played 18 games against the Top 25 in their first 42 games with 14 coming against the Top 10. Fresno State played a 67-game regular-season schedule with 40 road games and just 27 home games.
NCAA Selection Process
The field for 48 teams for the 2002 NCAA Division I Softball Championship was announced on May 12 and eight campus sites were selected as hosts. The eight region sites are Central, East, Northeast, South, Mideast, Midwest, West and Pacific. Twenty-two conferences were granted automatic bids. Four conferences participated in a play-in to determine the remaining two automatic berths.
About The Teams
No. 1 seed CS Fullerton is making its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance and, along with Fresno State (1998), has been one of six schools to claim a NCAA title (1986) ... No. 3 seed California is right behind with its 18th NCAA Regional showing ... The Golden Bears virtually have been a "regular" guest at Fresno State as they are making their fifth appearance in seven years and 10 times overall since 1987 in Fresno, Calif. ... No. 2 seed Stanford is participating in its fifth NCAA Tournament and has been nationally-ranked as high as third in the nation during the regular-season ... No. 5 seed Pacific is making its fourth NCAA Tournament showing in five years ... No. 6 Evansville is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance and is the only non-California school and non-ranked team in Fresno regional.
Fresno State Captures Fifth Straight WAC Title
Fresno State notched its fifth straight Western Athletic Conference title entering the last weekend of play. The Bulldogs, who had clinched at least a share of the league title at home two weeks ago, closed out WAC play at San Jose State. The 'Dogs had won the title outright before beginning play against SJSU after Hawai'i and Tulsa split a doubleheader in Honolulu. Fresno State also has captured six WAC crowns in the last seven years.
Southern is Top 10 Finalist for Player of the Year
In April, freshman right-hander Jamie Southern (Clovis) was selected as one of 25 collegiate softball players for the inaugural USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. Southern, who was extended an invitation to the USA World Championship Team camp this summer, was one of three freshmen to be singled out by The Amateur Softball Association. On May 3, Southern became one of 10 finalists for the national honor. The list will be narrowed a third time as three finalists will be selected by May 31. The winner will be announced June 7.
National Rankings
Fresno State softball has been no stranger to the national polls. Nationally ranked every week for 175 consecutive weeks since the NCAA's first Top 15 poll in 1983, the Bulldogs have been in the nation's Top 20 for 20 straight years. In addition, they have been in the Top 10 for 151 weeks. On March 14, 1989, the Bulldogs achieved their first-ever No. 1 national ranking and were ranked No. 1 for two straight weeks in 1997 before finishing as the No. 1 team in the final 1998 USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll. In 1999, Fresno State opened the year with a No. 1 preseason ranking after winning the national title in 1998. Since March 29, 1988, the 'Dogs have been the top-ranked team five times, ranked second 35 times, ranked third 32 times, and ranked fourth 20 times. The softball program's five No. 1 rankings is the most ever by a Bulldog athletic team.
Southern is ERA Leader
The NCAA released its fifth set of NCAA Division I softball statistics last Wed., May 8. As a team, the Bulldogs ranked No. 3 in fielding percentage (.976) for the fifth straight week and is No. 5 in ERA (0.92). The 'Dogs also checked in at No. 24 in win-loss percentage (.738, 48-17). Individually, Southern leads the nation in ERA (0.41) for the fifth straight week and is No. 2 in victories (31-7) for the fourth straight week after being ranked No. 3 in week one. She also ranks No. 30 in strikeouts per 7/IP (8.15). In a statistic not totaled until the end of the season, Southern ranks No. 4 in total strikeouts (361) among Division I hurlers.
JSo is SO ...
With a 32-8 record on the year that includes 48 appearances with 38 starts and 37 complete games, Southern has thrown 21 shutouts, two perfect games in three no-hitters, set a single-game school record in strikeouts twice, has three saves, broke the school's freshman record in strikeouts, set a new WAC and Fresno State single-season strikeout record and a new strikeout mark in WAC games only while opponents are batting .136 against her for a 0.41 ERA. Tallying 19 ten-strikeout games, she has totaled 380 strikeouts in 327.0 innings (8.15 strikeouts 7/IP). Against the Top 25 in her career, Southern is 5-4 with a save, four shutouts and 94 strikeouts in 82.1 innings (8.01 strikeouts 7/IP). In her career, she is a 34-8 with three saves, 22 shutouts, 37 complete games, 40 starts and 51 appearances. The two-time NFCA National Player of the week has pitched 337.2 innings and has yielded 154 hits, 30 runs (19 earned), 48 walks and has 395 strikeouts (8.20 7/IP) for a 0.39 ERA.
Rookie Lineage
Southern's name will join Terry Carpenter's name as the two most prolific freshmen pitchers in school history. As the second rookie Bulldog pitcher to post 30 or more wins and the fifth overall to reach the 30-win plateau in a season, Southern holds the sole distinction of posting the most wins by a freshman (32). Having broken the freshman record for strikeouts, she set a new win/loss record (32-8) while tying Carpenter for the rookie mark in shutouts (21). Southern owns season-best highs of four consecutive shutout wins (twice), 11 consecutive victories, 92.2 innings without an earned run, 52.1 scoreless innings (20 hits, two walks, 61 strikeouts) and 11.2 hitless innings.
Take 7
Southern has garnered Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors seven times this season. As the first pitcher in WAC history to garner four consecutive pitcher of the week accolades, Southern pitched a pair of no-hitters with a nine-day separation. Against Tennessee Tech on March 12, she recorded the program's 53rd no-hitter. Southern threw a perfect game (10th in school history -- second known perfect game in college softball at the time) against UC Riverside on March 3. She then threw her second career perfect game (11th in school history) against San Jose State on April 13. Southern already has set a single-game school record in strikeouts as she threw all 15 innings and struck out 19 in the Bulldogs' 2-1 victory against No. 10 Pacific. The 19 strikeouts recorded broke a 20-year old record held by All-American Wende Ward (17 in 14 inn. versus Cal Poly, 1983). She then reset her own single-game strikeout record with 22 against Tulsa in a 1-0, 17-inning game. Having broken the school's rookie record for most strikeouts in a season with 226 against Loyola Marymount on March 23, Southern then set the WAC's and Fresno State's single-season strikeout record of 330 against Louisiana Tech on April 25 before establishing a single-season strikeout mark in WAC games only with 137 against San Jose State on May 11. Overall, Southern is 19-4 with a no-decision in her last 24 starts. In addition, Southern is 22-5 with a no-decision in her last 28 starts while 28-7 with a no-decision in her last 36 starts (the six starting losses are one-run games, four are extra-inning games and four have come against the Top 25). Having opened the year at 8-0, Southern is 20-4 with a no-decision, 1-1 in relief, 1.0 innings of relief work and a save in her last 28 appearances.
Two Bulldogs Garner Verizon Academic All-District Honors
Senior third baseman Lindsay Fossatti (Tustin) and senior center fielder Tiffany Whipple (Fresno) were selected to the Verizon Academic All-District VIII first team last week. This is the second consecutive honor for Fossatti, who was a Third Team Verizon Academic All-American last year, and a first for Whipple. Both will now be forwarded on to the national ballot in which the Verizon Academic All-America selections will be announced on June 6. A four-year starter, Fossatti is majoring in kinesiology-exercise science and boasts a 3.91 cumulative grade point average. Whipple has started the past two seasons in the outfield and boasts a 3.64 cumulative GPA while majoring in Liberal Studies-Teaching.
Miscellaneous Notables
Fresno State claimed its fifth WAC title outright and sixth in the last seven years ... Fresno State is making its NCAA record-setting 21st consecutive appearance in postseason play ... Fresno State wrapped up its regular-season home schedule with a 24-3 mark and averaged 2,043 fans in 14 home dates ... It marks the seventh straight season in which the softball program has averaged at least 2,000 fans ... In 10 years of WAC play, Fresno State has won six WAC titles and has finished second once and third three times while sporting a 199-47 (.809) record ... With 137 strikeouts in WAC play, Southern set a new conference single-season strikeout record in league play only ... She breaks the record of 131 that was set by Utah's Ali Andrus in 1994 ... Southern also set a new WAC single-season record in innings pitched with 327.0 (old record was 321.0 by Fresno State's Maureen Brady in 1994) ... Her 32 victories overall ranks No. 4 in WAC single-season history - she is four shy of tying the WAC and Fresno State single-season win record (36 by Brady, 1994) ... Southern tied the Bulldog rookie mark in shutouts (21) ... She set two more Bulldog freshman records in wins (32) and win/loss (32-8) ... With a 19-4 record and a no-decision in her last 24 starts, Southern had her streak of 56.1 innings without an earned run halted in game two against San Jose State ... In the last 18 games played by the Bulldogs, Southern has gone 8-2 with five shutouts and 92 strikeouts in 85.1 innings for a 0.58 ERA (seven earned runs) and a 7.57 strikeouts per seven innings ... With a total of 380 strikeouts on the year, Southern is looking to become just the third freshman in NCAA Division I history to tally 400 or more strikeouts ... She has struck out 117 batters looking ... Southern finished WAC play with an 11-3 record with eight shutouts and 137 strikeouts (46 looking) 125.2 innings for a 0.45 ERA as WAC opponents hit .138 against ... The Bulldogs have won 21 of their last 26 games ... Fresno State is 21-9 in its last 30 and 22-10 in last 32 and 24-10 in its last 34 ... The Bulldogs have played 11 extra inning games this season and are 7-4 in extra work ... 13 of Fresno State's 18 losses on the year have come by two or less runs (10 one-run losses with four of them via extra innings)... 15 losses have occurred on the road and of those 15, 10 are against Top 25 with nine coming against the Top 10 and six against the Top Five ... Fresno State is 8-10 versus the Top 25 this season ... The Bulldogs played 18 games against the Top 25 in their first 42 games with 14 coming against the Top 10.
End of the Year Banquet
The annual Fresno State softball awards dinner will be held Fri., May 31, 6:00 p.m., at TorNino's. With a one-hour social, dinner will follow at 7:00 p.m. Dinner tickets are on sale for $25.00 each. Tickets will be available to purchase this weekend by meeting Dorothy Hunter in person at Bulldog Diamond. To make phone reservations, call Hunter at (559) 439-0605.
2002 Fresno State Softball Notebook
Sr., 1B/2B, Vanessa Czarnecki
Has eight multiple-hit games ... has turned 13 double plays of team's 19 ... in career, ranks No. 1 in career sacrifices (71) in WAC history & No. 2 in school history ... 2002 preseason all-WAC ... 7x Deans List ... 4x WAC all-Academic, WAC Scholar-Athlete &Fresno State Scholar-Athlete ... 2001 NFCA Scholar-Athlete.
Sr., 3B, Lindsay Fossatti
Has 18 multiple-hit games & seven multiple-RBI ... has a season-best 13-game hit streak (ranks No. 8 all-time in FS history) & batted .475 (19-40, 4 R, 2 doubles, triple, 2 HR, 8 BB, 7 RBI, 29 TB, .725 slug pct.) ... has six home runs on year & ranks No. 6 all-time at FS (15) ... has turned nine of team's 19 double plays ... has walked 2 or more times in 10 different games ...has 12 two-out RBI games ... in career, school & WAC record holder in walks (111), which ranks No. 25 in NCAA history ... ranks in 7 FS all-time Top 10 & in 5 WAC all-time Top 10 career marks ... 2002 preseason all-WAC ... 2x WAC Player of the Week ... 2001 NCAA Tournament all-regional ... 2001 Verizon Academic All-American ... 2001 Harold Haak Scholarship ... 2001 NFCA Scholar-Athlete ... 2x Verizon Academic All-District VIII ... 3x first team all-WAC ... 4x WAC all-academic, WAC Scholar-Athlete & Fresno State Scholar-Athlete ... 7x time Deans List ... 4x Presidential List (4.0 GPA) ... Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society ... 4x WAC Player of the Week ...1999 all-West Region.
So., DP/LHP, Lori Hoffman
Has 10 multiple-hit games & three multiple RBI games... has a season-best & career-best seven-game hit streak & batted .423 (9-21, double, 5 RBI, SF, 10 TB) ... has six two-out RBI games ... has seven two-out RBI gmes ... in the circle, has made four appearances with two starts & two relief (0-2, lost at #8 Arizona State & #9 CS Fullerton) ...in career, has 15 appearances vs. Top 25 teams with eight starts ... owns Top 25 wins over #11 DePaul, #15 Oregon State, #8 CS Fullerton ... first collegiate start vs. #11 DePaul (W 2-1) ... career-best streaks of 25.0 scoreless IP & without an earned run.
So., 2B/OF/SS, Pam Perez
Has 15 multiple-hit games & three multiple RBI ... owns season-best seven-game hit streak & batted . 435 (10-23, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 10 TB, 2-2 SB) ... has seven two-out RBI games ... has turned seven of team's 19 double plays.
Jr., RHP, Leslie Poole
Is 15-6 on year in 22 starts & a 1.69 ERA ... has a win in relief vs. Penn State, Indiana & Portland State ... is 2-3 vs. Top 25 ... tied career-high six strikeouts vs. Boston University ... is 11-5 in her last 20 starts with four no-decisions ... has a season-best streak of 22.1 scoreless innings ... WAC Pitcher of the Week ... in career, has 47.2 scoreless innings streak ... has two one-hitters, three two-hitters & two three-hitters in career... 4x WAC Pitcher of the Week ... 2001 Fresno State Scholar-Athlete ... 2001 second team all-WAC.
Fr., RHP/1B/OF, Jamie Southern
In the circle, is 32-8 in 38 starts with 21 shutouts & 380 strikeouts in 327.0 IP for a 0.41 ERA ... has 19 ten-strikeout games & is averaging 8.15 strikeouts a game ... threw a perfect game vs. UC Riverside (March 3) & vs. San Jose State (April 13) ... has three no-hitters on the year (UCR, Tennessee Tech & San Jose State) ... is 5-4 vs. Top 25 teams with a save while recording four shutouts & 94 strikeouts in 82.1 IP (8.01 strikeouts 7/IP) ... had a streak of three consecutive games with 10+ strikeouts & averaged 13.0 strikeouts a game in that span (39 in 21.0 IP) ... set a then single-game school record 19 strikeouts vs. #10 Pacific before tallying 22 against Tulsa for a new school & WAC single-game mark ... has 15 multiple-hit games & six multiple RBI ... has a season-high seven-game hit streak & batted .435 (10-23, 3 R, 5 RBI, 3 doubles, BB, 12 TB, .522 slug pct.) ... has 10 two-out RBI games ... 7x WAC Pitcher of the Week ... 2x Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week ... has turned six double plays ... in career is 34-8 with three saves & 22 shutouts with 37 complete games in 40 starts & 51 appearances ... In 337.2 career innings pitched, she has yielded 154 hits, 30 runs, 19 earned runs, 48 walks while striking out 395 (8.20 strikeouts 7/IP) for a 0.39 ERA ... has career-best 11.2 hitless IP streak, 52.1 scoreless IP & 92.2 innings without an earned run ... 2002 NFCA Leadoff & Hedrick's Hallowell Chevrolet all-tourney ... 2002 preseason all-WAC & WAC Pitcher of the Year ... 2002 Top 10 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year ... Two-time Fresno State Scholar-Athlete ... 2002 WAC Scholar-Athlete.
Jr., C, Pam West
Has 17 multiple-hit games & one multiple RBI ...has hit safely in 10of last 12 & is hitting .356(14-39, R, RBI, 3 doubles, SH & 16 TB) & in 13 of last 16 & is batting .352 (19-54, 2 R, RBI, 3 doubles, SH & 21 TB) ... recorded GWH vs. No. 10 Pacific ... has four two-out RBI games ... has thrown out 20 would-be basestealers in 37 tries for a 54% accuracy ... has turned one double play ... in each of the last two seasons, has now thrown out 20 would-be basestealers a year ... in last two years, has thrown out 40 for a 63% accuracy (23-63) ... last year, led nation in percentage of runners thrown out (74%, 7-27) by catching 20 ... in career, has thrown out 53 would-be basestealers (51-103) for a 51% accuracy ... 2002 preseason all-WAC ... 3x Fresno State Scholar-Athlete ... 2002 WAC Scholar-Athlete ... 2000 WAC all-Academic.
Sr., CF, Tiffany Whipple
Has a team-high 19 multiple-hit games ... leads team in hits (66), runs (33) & stolen bases (11) ... had a six-game hit streak & batted .429 (9-21, 5 runs, 3 walks, SF, 2-2 SB, 2 RBI, 9 TB) ... in career: 2002 preseason all-WAC ... 2x WAC Player of the Week ... 2002 Verizon Academic All-District VIII ... Deans List ... 2000 Fresno State Scholar-Athlete & WAC all-Academic... 2001 NFCA Scholar-Athlete ... 2001 second team all-WAC.
